UFCW Local 8: Kicking The Members When They’re Already Down

In the wake of a devastating contract shoved down the throats of Local 8 Rite Aid workers and with grocery workers they represent in Southern California who have been stalled in bogus negotiations since March 11th this year and who now are facing another strike and corporate abuse as we speak, the officers and executive board of Local 8 have decided to kick their members just a little more while they're already down.

Members of UFCW Local 8 GS this week received notice of a proposed “dues increase”.

See here:
http://www.uncharted.ca/images/users/ssigurdur/2011_ufcwl8_dues_increase.pdf

Members were advised of meetings to be held for members to show and vote on the dues increase proposal. The problem is most of the meeting sites and times make it virtually impossible for most members to attend scheduled meetings.

Example: For a member living in the Lake Tahoe area getting to the closest one time scheduled meeting in Sacramento, it’s a one way 100 mile drive for that member! If you’re a Local 8 member in the Fort Bragg area your closest meeting would be in Petaluma a good 3 hour drive one way!

Historically Local 8 has done all votes by mail, why now the need for members to show to a meeting?

Further more meeting times were set when most members would either be at work or sleeping before work. These times and locations all by design by the officers at Local 8 to keep member turnout to a minimum so they can pass the proposed “dues increase”.

The average full time Local 8 member is already paying $52-$55 a month. Pay close attention on the increase notice of the amounts members will be stiffed with! It’s absolutely inconceivable how this unions leadership can burden the members with this kind of financial reaping during these rocky times. It’s even more disgusting that a union leadership would ask this of it’s members who are looking at going on strike within hours possibly!

We are asking all who find this attack on these fellow union workers by their own union's leadership as appalling as we do to contact UFCW Local 8's president Jacques Loveall and voice your protest against this financial hardship on the Local 8 members.

You can contact President Loveall at (916) 786-0588 ext 201

You can also email Loveall’s secretary at leslie [at] ufcw8.org

You can contact Loveall’s sister and Local 8 Recorder, Sheryl Percell at spercell [at] ufcw8.org

To view the salaries of Local 8 officers and executive board see here:
http://kcerds.dol-esa.gov/query/getOrgQry.do

Use file # 043-536

We thank you for your solidarity!